Where does “physiognomy” come from?
Physiognomy comes from Anglo-Norman phisenomie, from Late Latin physiognomia, from Ancient Greek φυσιογνωμονία, ultimately from Ancient Greek γιγνώσκω meaning "to know."
physiognomy (English): The art or pseudoscience of deducing the...
Definitions
- The art or pseudoscience of deducing the...
Ancestry of “physiognomy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | phisonomie | — |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | phisenomie | — |
| 3 | Late Latin | physiognomia | — |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | φυσιογνωμία | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | φύσις | origin, birth; nature, quality, property; later,... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | φύω | To bring forth, produce, generate, cause to grow;... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰuHyéti | to be becoming, to be growing, to be appearing |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 10 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |